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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23073589">Fluttering In</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/winglessburst/pseuds/winglessburst'>winglessburst</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mamamoo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Byulyi is a chaotic gay, Circle, Elemental Witch Byulyi, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, First Meetings, Goddess and God, Hyejin is Neutral gay, Magic Shop, Mentions of religion, Mild Language, Natural Witch Hyejin, Orphan Jung Wheein, Seoul, Traditional Witch Yongsun, Wheein is a cat, Wheein is confused and a cat, Wicca, Yongsun is Lawful gay, coven - Freeform, job searching</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:36:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,251</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23073589</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/winglessburst/pseuds/winglessburst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wheein is having a hard time after moving all by herself to the big city of Seoul.  And getting her purse snatched just seems like the icing on the cake to her crappy circumstances... until it kinda of becomes the whole damn party.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ahn Hyejin | Hwasa/Jung Wheein, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Moon Byulyi/everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Heels and Umbrellas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm not sure if or where this is going but I'll try to keep all chapters as contained as I can so that no one is waiting on a big cliffhanger conclusion for months.  I will add tags as I go.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The street smelled of fresh bread.  The only noticeable thing in her distress as she chased after the the black hooded figure making away with her purse.  She called out to him; called out to anyone, alerting them of the thief. But as her heel clad feet began to ache and he wove through the disinterested crowd gaining distance, it all seemed a bit hopeless.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if on queue, one of her heels chose that moment to snag on the pavement and down she went.  With a squak of surprised indignation and a hiss of pain she watched as he rounded a corner and disappeared with her possessions.  Everything was in that bulky bag, credit and debit cards, her citizen ID, driver’s license, cash,, apartment key, and even her cellphone.  Prone as she was on the black pavement of the heavily foot trafficked road, Wheein felt truly and fully fucked.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a wheeze that sounded like the distant relative to a sob and a face pinched in pain and fury, she gingerly got to her feet.  Once they were under her she stumbled a moment feeling an ache in the ankle of the foot that had been her demise. Honestly the whole heel business was a complete farce and she had the distinct sinking in her gut that many mistakes had been made that day.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She began limping ahead as she wondered which one may have been the biggest mistake of them all.  Perhaps the worst of them had been the entire outfit in general. She wore a navy and gray outfit that consisted of a pencil skirt and a smart suit jacket layered over a blouse and completed with stockings and that god awful expensive seeming purse.  The kitten heels couldn’t be all to blame. Had she been dressed as her usual slob self the thief may not have singled her out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe her big mistake had been going to the job interview she had dressed for.  The interview she completely tanked with her ‘utter lack of tact and womanly civility’.  The interviewer had personally informed her on the spot that she came off as abrasive due to her accent and that she ought to think about braces.  Apparently she would never be chosen to be the face of any company without an investment in her smile. As if secretary work was more looks than actual paperwork and schedule shifting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If she dug really deep in her self wallowing as she aimlessly limped down the road, the true ‘biggest mistake’ had been moving to the city in the first place.  She had a perfectly good life, good prospects, okay friends. Since she had outgrown the group home she was raised in and finished her way through general studies in college they had been more than happy to offer her a position to work where she grew up.  And she had considered it for a moment. Give back in a way by giving other girls like her a home when they had nothing.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She would have had a place to stay, a steady income, known her way around both the job and the neighborhood, and been friendly enough with the staff.  Her life could have been grand, whimsical even. But nah, she had to defy the easy destiny laid out before her. Step off the pale yellow brick road for a more vibrant seeming color.  Puke green, repugnant but vibrant in it’s own way perhaps.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yet the thought of staying in the same place she had grown up in, and never ever leaving, had suffocated her to the point of acute nausea.  But at least she would have her purse, wallet, and phone. She didn’t even know any numbers to call for help past getting a hold of the police.  Not that she had made any actual friends to call on in the city. But still, it was the principal of the thing.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was her 5th interview since losing her first job in the city which had been the reason she moved out here at all.  She was laid off when the company went under due to corruption that went all the way to the top and she hadn’t even been a full month in.  Now she was a full month late on her rent and suddenly completely cut off from her piddly savings as well as quite actually lost in the confusing city of Seoul.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning around in a complete circle did nothing but confirm that she did not recognize the street she found herself on.  And after turning she could not figure out which way she had actually been walking from so as to retrace her steps. Wheein was truly and fully fucked.  She’d be homeless, lost, and walking with a limp until the hunger got to her and she expired, like puke green milk. Already feeling the panic set in Wheein found a curbside and plopped onto it unceremoniously with a huff the could have maybe been a sob’s uncle.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t come to the city with a dream and as the tears built up behind her eyes and she began to feel the first few drops of rain on her forehead, she realized that was her biggest mistake.  Aimless and the city did not go well together. She was living, breathing proof of why.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as her tears began to spill over, most likely pulling some mascara along for the ride, and the rain began to pour more significantly to earth, a pair of baby blue sneakers stepped in front of her.  Looking up the body attached to said sneakers brought her eyes to meet her stolen forest green purse blocking her view of the face of this new stranger. With a sniffle she reached out and took the stupid bag and checked the contents before sagging in acute relief that threatened to bowl her over.  It was really her purse.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sneakers shifted in front of her like the stranger, her savior, was rocking back on their heels and she reached out to wrap her hand around their closest dainty ankle before looking up to the sharp gaze of the woman standing over her holding an umbrella above them.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”  Wheein said. It didn’t feel like near enough, but the woman smiled all the same and reached her free hand down to pat the top of Wheein’s head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Us girls gotta stick together.”  The woman’s voice was slightly nasal and deep and warm and wow it sunk into her bones like hot tea and settled something in her that had been on the verge of completely cracking.  Wheein’s smile grew and she nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My hero.  I wish I could repay you.”  She found herself talking before really thinking about the words but it felt good.  How long had it really been that she talked to someone outside of interviewing for jobs and pleading with her landlord to give her a few more days to pay rent.  The woman scrunched up her eyes in her answering smile. Her teeth definitely were ‘face of the company’ worthy and Wheein thought that maybe she could see the importance of good dental hygiene when this woman smiled like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just be careful.  Make sure to keep a good grip on your bag and try not to look like so much of a tourist.  Ogling always draws in the worst sort.” The woman said. Unsolicited advice had never been something that Wheein took kindly to but those words took her breath away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Jung Wheein.”  She blurted and the woman giggled after her eyes widened in surprise at the unprompted introduction.  Wheein could care less, she had to know this woman’s name and it was her brain’s first plan of getting it.  It turned out to be a good plan when the woman answered in kind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ahn Hyejin.  You should probably not go around giving your name out like that to just anyone.  Just another tip.” Hyejin said. Hyejin. It became Wheein’s new favorite word. Her mind repeated it on a loop leaving her at a loss for how to actually continue the conversation with this woman who had shown her the first speck of kindness in this cold impossible place.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her knees knocked together with her effort but she jumped to her feet all the same.  “Let me treat you to dinner.” Wheein said perhaps a bit too desperately, judging by the furrowing of Hyejin’s perfectly sculpted brow.  She wore very little makeup past light foundation, the brows, and mascara on her lower lash lines and she looked a particular way that Wheein was sure many would see as drop dead gorgeous.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right now?”  Hyejin clarified.  She also maybe glanced at an honest to goodness non digital watch on the wrist of the hand still suspending an umbrella over them to shield them from the rain falling in a steady rhythm around them.  Without trees and grass the rain didn’t smell of much amid the faint scent of mildew rising from some nearby building or alleyway.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or um, when you’re free.  If it’s a bad uh, time.” Wheein tripped and tumbled and still felt irredeemable by the end of her sentence.  Steeling herself for rejection, she continued to keep eye contact with Hyejin while she watched the woman think over her offer and glance at her watch again which caused her lip to be clutched between her teeth.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But it’s not even noon yet.”  Hyejin softly informed Wheein and it felt like falling off a cliff where the bottom was just embarrassment goo and Wheein was hitting it hard and sinking in.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, dinner is kinda a uh, more of a hum, state of mind y-you know?”  Her cheeks felt hot and her tears from earlier roiled in her throat like they were waiting on standby.  Hyejin laughed at her words and reached up to pat her head again and somewhere, in another universe, Wheein both imploded and exploded and was shocked she wasn’t actual fleshy shrapnel on the pavement around them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll give you my number ok?  I couldn’t say no to a free actual dinner.  Maybe I can give you more pointers for keeping your purse.”  Hyejin held out the head patting hand after she spoke. Wheein reached into her purse like a madwoman and wrenched out her phone to place it in Hyejin’s waiting palm.  Hyejin laughed at that too and waited for Wheein to actually unlock it before inputting her number into her contacts. “Next tip, don’t hand your phone or your phone number out to complete and total strangers.”  Wheein was struck with a devilish grin while the phone in Hyejin’s own pocket gave a chipper chime indicating an incoming message. “Unless that stranger is me of course. I’ll text you when I’m free.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hyejin handed back her phone and walked away.  Wheein barely felt the rain as she clutched her bag tight and watched Hyejin’s figure as she faded off in the distance.  Her phone vibrated in her hand and when she checked there was a new text from Ahn Hyejin ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Get home safe’.  </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Imbued with the importance of her first goal in Seoul, Wheein plugged her address into her phone and followed GPS home.  Limping and smiling and working on constructing the best answer in her head she did just as directed. As she closed the door to her rundown apartment she couldn’t help but reply back on her success.  Falling asleep that night was easier than it had been since she made the decision to move. The butterflies kept her company in her dreams. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Candles and Cats</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She was sick when she awoke and completely unable to afford the luxury of resting.  The rest of the week was booked with more job interviews and she persisted. Dressing up, clutching her purse tightly, and rubbing her nose raw with a handkerchief.   The price of tissues be damned. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her first interview of that Wednesday to work as a greeter at a local bakery that was gaining massive popularity went badly.   She could barely get a word in without a cough, sneeze, or sniffle interrupting her. Five questions into the interview and the manager asked her to leave with a sigh and a tenuous agreement to reschedule later when she was feeling better.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was very much the tone of the rest of the week.  By Friday she had been softly let down by a florist shop, two secretary positions, grunt work in the office of a construction company, any position in 5 separate cafes and a few others that were so brief she could only remember the faint sting of the rejection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Friday afternoon had her feeling dizzy and sniffling in mucus that was as stubborn as her.  It was a battle that she felt she had already lost hours, if not days ago. Licking her wounds she started off in the general direction of her home, keeping a slow enough pace for her to pull out her phone and check for a new message from Hyenjin.  Nothing new showed but Hyenjin always seemed to be busier after noon until 8 or 9. Ah the life of a working woman. Swallowing around a cough Wheein scrolled through the last messages in their thread. It really wasn't much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Savior Hyenjin 🐯 </b>
  <em>
    <span>8:24am</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You're going to find the right</span>
</p><p>
  <span>job soon! I can feel it! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Me </b>
  <em>
    <span>8:25am</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Is this another 'how to survive </span>
</p><p>
  <span>the city' tip? Cause it feels a bit</span>
</p><p>
  <span>too positive ngl ಠಿ_ಠ</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Savior Hyejin🐯 </b>
  <em>
    <span>8:25am</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>City tip #234- don't sass your</span>
</p><p>
  <span>unofficial city guide or they'll </span>
</p><p>
  <span>let you get lost. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Me </b>
  <em>
    <span>8:26am</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No please don't lose me oh all</span>
</p><p>
  <span>knowing city guide ༼;´༎ຶ 0 ༎ຶ༽</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I cannot make it on my own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Savior Hyejin🐯 </b>
  <em>
    <span>8:27am</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You use the ugliest emojis, I </span>
</p><p>
  <span>could never give up on you ;) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now get yourself together and </span>
</p><p>
  <span>try again. Let me know how it </span>
</p><p>
  <span>goes.  BREAK A LEG!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Me </b>
  <em>
    <span>8:28am</span>
  </em>
  <span>:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I really could break a leg in these</span>
</p><p>
  <span>heels (;ŏ﹏ŏ) BUT I'M GONNA </span>
</p><p>
  <span>TRY MY HEST!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>BEST*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thank you!!!!!!!!!! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a deep breath Wheein looked up from her phone feeling a surge of energy.  That deep breath promptly started up a coughing fit and all her new energy drained from her by the time she calmed down from it and realized she was lost yet again.  Perhaps she needed to get herself an actual city guide. Or maybe if she just learned to actually pay attention to her surroundings… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing the errant thought away, Wheein took a moment to take it all in.  She was on a less business oriented street and found herself surrounded by identical looking apartment buildings that seemed to just keep being built on top of one another.  She only saw two different shops on the entire block, one was a convenience store; which frankly would be her next round of positions to apply for, and the other was odd. It seemed like a kind of trinket or antique store but she hadn't seen many of those by themselves in the city and it piqued her interest.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With nothing to lose other than time she could be lying in bed actually taking care of herself for once, Wheein crossed the road and walked down the sidewalk till she stood at the store front.  Windflower, the shop's sign read in flowy script. Something about it made her heart race and she quickly climbed the three steps to the front door and entered the shop. Inside was well lit and cluttered with shelves that held an eclectic assortment of items.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she slowly made her way past them she could not discern a rhyme or reason to the organization.  One shelf held pocket watches and other old items. Then the next housed books ranging from topics on UFOs to finding your personal power.  She followed her nose to three shelves dedicated to candles sorted by color and bundles of incense mixed all together.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was when she was trying not to cough over said candles after laughing at the name of one of them that she felt a soft breeze float through her hair from further in the store, like butterfly wings shifting the air about.  She turned to see a small seating area bursting with pillows and blankets over beanbags and a low coffee table.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sitting primly in the yellow chair was a woman staring off into the empty space of the store.  Her gaze was unfocused and her hands were resting palm-up over her crossed legs with the tips of her thumbs and middle fingers touching.  Wheein’s eyes took in her thin and lanky frame that held an unspoken elegance in the way her pin straight -blonde dyed hair rested over her shoulders and breast.  Her face was angular and her dark eyes drew Wheein in. It was when she began stepping closer to the woman that those unfocused eyes snapped to her though they still seemed far away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um, hello, are you an employee?”  Wheein asked tentatively, unsure what level of small talk was needed for such a peculiar situation.  The woman just faced her in silence for a few heavy moments. Just as she finally went to open her mouth to either speak or release a plague of locusts upon poor, naive Wheein, there was a loud clatter in the direction of what must have been the back room.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The strange woman did not move or react but Wheein yelped and jumped so high that when she landed back on her heels she stumbled.  It was in that act of stumbling that Wheein quite literally tripped into her new destiny. Trying to regain her footing, Wheein’s arms outstretched from her sides and wobbled around, her struggle bringing her closer and closer to the woman and the noises crescendoing in the backroom behind the seating area.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steering herself unbalanced self towards the wall she reached out to catch herself just as the door to the backroom flung open to another stranger holding a large black pot of something giving off a floral aroma.  Distracted, Wheein was just shy of the wall and smacked into the stranger and their pot instead. When a yelp the stranger stepped out of the way, flinging the contents of the pot at Wheein in a kind of reactive defense and Wheein was completely soaked in whatever it was by the time she hit the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit!  Who in the- Oh my god!  Oh my goddess! This is a disaster.”  The new stranger began freaking out immediately but made no attempt to help Wheein up.  With a grumble Wheein got to her feet on her own. Only she didn’t sound at all like herself and when she went to voice that fact the sound of a cat’s meow coming from her made her jump yet again.  This time she landed on her feet, not a stumble or a trip or a twinge from the strain on her tendons from her heels.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking down at said feet that felt very odd indeed she nearly met her end in what felt like a fainting spell coming on but could have been the absolute end of her.  Not only did she have four feet but they weren’t feet at all. Four orange paws stared back at her and obeyed her every whim as she moved them around to prove to herself they were real.  She was really standing on orange kitten paws instead of her horribly uncomfortable kitten heels.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Byulyi!  Snap out of it and help me!  This is a complete and utter emergency.”  The stranger continued to freak out and not offer Wheein any assistance.  Though how would one truly know when a cat was in need of assistance. And that is completely what Wheein had become, a cat with orange paws.  Wheein looked up at the bulging eyes of the human standing above her and meowed accusingly at them until they finally looked down to see what she had become.  There was no expected surprise or further freaking out. There was only desperate fear and it did nothing to soothe the chaos hiding just beyond the shock of the afternoon’s events.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Awe, I thought she was cute when she was human but she makes a super adorable cat.”  The first stranger, Byulyi, stated as soon as she stepped to the second stranger’s side.  The second stranger turned her bugging eyes on Byulyi with a whine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is so not what matters at this moment Byulyi!  I don’t even understand how that potion turned her into a cat.  It was supposed to make a glamour perfume that would make the wearer appear demure and elegant to others.  Not a cat!” Byulyi seemed immune to the high decibels the other was reaching as they babbled frustrated and a twinge fearful.  Byulyi’s easy smile only widened before she looked back down at Wheein.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for testing our product.  We’ll figure out how to reverse its effect in no time.  While you wait feel free to lounge around. You seemed a bit in need of a nap when you came in.”  Byulyi addressed Wheein and it made her flustered. Her exhaustion culminated in a succession of sneezes that made Byulyi coo at her while the other freaked out, pulling incessantly on the sleeve of Byulyi’s shirt.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re sick I can make you some tea that should be ok for even kitty tummies.  Go have a seat. I’m going to fold your clothes and put them in the back room. We’ll be right back.”  Byulyi bent down to collect Wheein’s clothes as she spoke and Wheein stepped out of the circle of them to make it easier, seeing no point in arguing.  She could already hear Hyejin in her head making fun of her for being too trusting, but she saw no other choice through her shock than to put her trust in these odd strangers.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tentatively Wheein walked over to the beanbags and pillows and wedged her way into the faux concealment offered to her by two pillows and a blanket strewn together as if in a rush to get up.  She heard the door to the backroom close and no longer heard the whining of the other strange woman. Forgetting all about the offered tea, sleep came in swiftly not long after resting her head down on her soft paws. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Women and Kisses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Short little chapter to move the plot along...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were a few things of note Wheein filed away in her tiny little kitty brain when she awoke.  The first was the bad news that she was still a cat. The second was the fact that it was dark outside the shop windows and she was still in the shop.  She could only take that to mean she either was still dreaming or very much awake and randomly turning into a cat is a real thing people should be worrying about.  The third thing was that she was not alone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Three women loomed above her, making her feel small and helpless.  She felt her tiny heart speed up and she may have hissed but she couldn’t be completely sure because no one moved in reaction to it.  Byulyi, she recognized somewhere deep in the back of her mind. The woman’s thin yet elegant features now mostly obscured by her long blonde hair that hung over Wheein like palm reeds.  Wheein averted her gaze and looked for some kind of way out. Everything inside her screaming to take cover somewhere. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s overwhelmed still.  I can’t tell much past the panic but I think the nap did her some good, health wise.  Sleep is good for the soul.” Byulyi said, nodding in agreement with herself. Wheein felt the fur on her back twitch and unfurl as her panic heightened making her squeak and jump away from the unfamiliar feeling.  The stranger that Wheein vaguely remembered bumping into and getting her into this mess squeaked back at Wheein’s little freak out and pulled Byulyi away. Byulyi’s hair ghosted across Wheein as she moved and it made Wheein shiver and shrink further into the blanket she was half cocooned in.    </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yongsun can you find your chill please?  No sudden moves around the frightened kitty.”  Byulyi whined but there was so little tone to it that Wheein wondered if she was being sarcastic.  A sigh emerged from the last woman in the room that Wheein had been too afraid to really take in yet.  The sigh drew her attention and she chanced a peek. Wild black hair cascaded around the woman’s head in a messily styled long bob.  It framed her beautiful dark eyes and small pouting lips in a way that had Wheein’s heart skipping beats at random in her chest. She recognized those eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hyejin!”  She meowed forgetting herself and blundered on, not registering all her words coming out as a string of unintelligible meowing.  “Oh my hero! Please save me from these crazy people. I promise I’ll buy you dinner for a whole year, no a lifetime even!” Wheein skittered out of her beanbag-blanket fortress and bulldozed her way into Hyejin’s lap as if she was trying to become one with the woman.  It took a moment but Hyejin’s hand patted down on her head and it brought her back to that day by the curb.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A horrible yowl sounded from her as she dissolved into the cat equivalent of complete sobbing hysterics at Hyejin’s touch that immediately bled the tension away from her body.  A familiar face in this big scary city where you couldn't get a job, couldn’t rest when you were sick, and could be turned into a little, defenseless, jobless, sick cat just for being clumsy.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, Hyejinie, do you know this sad pitiful cat?”  Yongsun asked and Wheein flinched back at the words and dug herself further into Hyejin.  She heard the sound of a light smack and a hiss of pain but didn’t look up to see who did what.  “What? She obviously seems really comfortable with Hwas, I was just wondering.” Yongsun sounded like she was pouting.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sol, she’s human and she’s hurting.  No need to make her feel worse when she’s already down.”  Came Byulyi’s voice, quiet, like she didn’t want Wheein to hear.  Hyejin’s fingers continued to work through Wheein’s fur on the top of her head and strayed no further than that.  It helped soothe the tension and the ache in her. Like her voice, Hyejin’s touch soaked into her bones, warm and all-encompassing, and it fixed that same something in her that was once again on the verge of cracking.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Solar, how long will it take you to formulate the right potion to fix this?”  Hyejin’s voice rumbled through Wheein where her head was pressed against Hyejin’s soft stomach.  Wheein felt a similar rumble in her own chest and didn’t fight the purr that began to come from her.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t even understand how it went so wrong.  I have to retrace my steps and see if i can even find a mistake somewhere before I can even think of trying to figure out how to reverse it, if I even can.  It could be days, or weeks, or months, or-” Yongsun’s words left her like she was set to X’s 2 speed until she completely cut herself off.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And how long might it take if we helped?”  Byulyi asked after a moment of silence.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“M-maybe um, S-Sunday, uh, mmm…”  Came Yongsun’s flustered reply. Then, as her flustered became frustrated exasperation she added, “Y-you can’t just go around </span>
  <em>
    <span>kissing </span>
  </em>
  <span>people when you want them to shut up.”    Byulyi hummed a non-committal response and Yongsun gave a frustrated noise that egged Wheein to peek at her in time to see her lowering her hands to her sides and getting up.  “I’ll get started now. You two figure out how she knows Hyejin and what we’re gonna do with her while we work.”  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wheein’s wide eyes watched her walk away towards the back room of the shop before Hyejin’s body obscured her.  She heard the door open and shut but didn’t have long to ponder it before the silence was broken by the other two in the room with her.  Hyejin sighed heavily before speaking. “So, did she have anything with her?” Hyejin asked. Byulyi shuffled to her feet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, her clothes and a purse.  No pockets but it is very business formal, I get the feeling she tries very hard to impress at her job.  Everything seems to be in her purse. Let’s check her wallet for her name.” As Byulyi spoke she brought Wheein’s things over and sat back down before going through her purse and pulling out her wallet.  Tentatively, Wheein shuffled a bit away from Hyejin to watch Byulyi, just to make sure none of her money got stolen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry I don’t need anything in this purse but your name and how you know Hyejin, aha!”  Byulyi assured Wheein as she opened up the wallet and pulled out her ID card. “Jung Wheein. What a cute name.”  Byulyi cooed then, looking into Wheein’s eye. Wheein shoved her face back into Hyejin’s body just as Hyejin gasped in recognition of her name.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my goodness!  Wheein? She’s the woman I told you about earlier this week, whose purse was snatched, remember?”  Hyejin’s voice was littered with horrified surprise and Wheein peeked up at her to see her frowning.  “Awe Wheein, what a mess you’ve gotten yourself into again. I’m so sorry.” Hyejin looked truly forlorn at Wheein’s predicament and Wheein wondered if she was more of a fixer than someone who just sat around when others were in trouble.  If only Wheein could find the words to tell her it’s not her fault.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yongsun is going to fix this.  You won’t be a cat forever, I promise okay?”  Hyejin assured Wheein after taking a deep breath to reign in the forlorn regret showing on her face.  Wheein nodded quickly and it made a small smile tug at the corners of Hyejin’s lips while Byulyi verbally cooed beside them.  “That’s the spirit. We’ll have to add this to my list of city tips.” Hyejin mused before shaking away the thought. Her fingers lightly brush against the top of Wheein’s head once again.  “We all room together in the apartment above the shop. Are you up for following me so we can get you sorted to stay for the weekend?”   </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was in those moments where Wheein audibly gulped and found herself agreeing to stay with this group of women with secrets and mysteries abound, that her fate was truly intertwined with theirs.  The path to living her life as a simple cat on the city streets closed up to her for good in that moment, nothing would ever be the same as it was even a day before for Wheein anymore. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Stay safe guys!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Blankets and Bathrooms</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hhhhha, this is kind of a filler chapter whoops.  I just needed the mystery solved.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sun slowly crept through the third story window as it rose in the sky.  The crowded, tall buildings surrounding the store didn’t allow for more than a strip of sunlight to filter through, but a strip of it was all Wheein needed.  Blinking sleep out of her eyes, Wheein stretched her orange paws overhead as she rolled onto her back to let the sunlight soak into the fur on her soft tummy and warm her up.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The night before had been a bit of a blur.  As soon as they got everything sorted Wheein’s cold seemed to come back full force and she erupted into little wet sneezes.  It began a flurry of concern to erupt around her. Hyejin tried to get her consent to pick her up and kept getting confused by the ways Wheein’s sneezes would trigger just as she went to nod her head and would evolve into a fit that made nodding impossible as her head shook back and forth with them instead.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi had rushed to the mysterious backroom when the sneezes started, to make whatever she had offered Wheein before her stress induced cat nap.  She came back to the scene of a flustered Hyejin still trying to get consent from a cat to hold them and took matters into her own hands, literally.  With a meow of surprise Wheein was hoisted into the arms of Byulyi and whisked into the backroom which turned out to be a stock room of sorts with a stairwell in the back connecting the store to the house above it.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After two flights of stairs and some jostling, Wheein was set down gently onto a pile of soft blankets and Byulyi held the container out for her to drink from as Hyejin made it into the room, cheeks flushed.  It was an odd feeling, but after a few cursory licks Wheein figured out how to lap up the liquid. Her whiskers rustled to move closer to her head to avoid getting wet. The offered liquid was clear like water but it tasted sweet and warm and after she had drunk about half of it she felt warmed from the inside out, and content and ready for sleep once again.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whatever was in that water had been just as magical as whatever had turned her into a cat.  As she lay in the sun Wheein knew she had never felt so good that early in the morning in a very long time.  She could hear soft chatter coming from the floor below her and her curiosity was piqued. She tripped over her paws as she made her way out of the blanket pile and flopped to the ground on her side with a small thump.  She attempted to mumble under her breath about the lie that is ‘cats always land on their feet’ but it just came out as a series of weird, quiet meows that made her want to grumble more. Perhaps she didn’t feel as cheerful and amazing as she thought.  Maybe that was just a trick of the sunlight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she got to the door, she realized she had a problem she had not yet considered.  The door was completely shut and even if she was long enough to reach the knob on her hindlegs, she had no hope of turning the circular knob with her tiny, fluffy paws.  She wondered if the women locked her in on purpose. Maybe they intended to lock her up in the room until they could fix the issue so they’d have less of her memory to erase or whatever.  As if she would have any grounds to charge them for turning her into a cat without anyone in the court system laughing right in her poor, pitiful face.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fact of the matter was, until yesterday, magic wasn’t real.  And the people who did believe in it for whatever reason were usually part of some weird cult or had a few screws loose.  This seemed nothing like what she imagined a cult to be. Wheein began pacing in front of the closed door as she took stock of everything she had seen these women do since she entered the store.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi seemed to be able to know things about her, like her feelings, almost what she was thinking even, she seemed to know it about everyone.  Yongsun obviously could ‘brew potions’ that had the power to turn people into cats. And she thought it would turn into a ‘glamour perfume’. And Hyejin- well, Hyejin had just seemed to hold them together.  Wheein hadn’t seen her do anything magical at all besides be her ‘somewhat’ savior in this crazy, upside down city.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, magic was real?  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wheein settled in front of the door with a huff.  The paws she rested her chin on were irrefutable proof of magic existing in some way but she didn’t want to think further on it lest she fall into a downward spiral, thinking of all the magic that may have always been happening around her, unseen.  Instead she pondered if it was worth it to try meowing loud enough for the women downstairs to hear her and set her free, or if she should just try for some more sleep.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As luck, or some kind of magic, would have it, she didn’t have to ponder her options too long.  Just as she registered the sound of footsteps in the hallway they stopped in front of the door. She heard someone take a big breath in on the other side of the door and then watched as the knob turned and the door cracked open.  Wheein shuffled back to steer clear of it and craned her little head to peek at the person on the other side, only to nearly trip over herself when she recognized who it was.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hyejin’s head poked into the room as she opened the door a bit wider, her eyes searching for Wheein.  After a moment of shock Wheein gave a meow to get Hyejin’s attention. Hyejin’s tired eyes widened when they landed on her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.  I didn’t think when I shut the door last night.  I didn’t want us to wake you up.” Hyejin apologized as she moved fully into the room and crouched down to the floor in front of Wheein.  “Are you feeling a bit better?” Wheein gave a meow and nodded her head trying to get across just how amazing she actually felt. Hyejin chuckled at Wheein’s antics and Wheein caught her fingers twitching in her lap as if she wanted to reach out to pat her head again.  Wheein couldn’t decide if she was grateful or not about Hyejin holding herself back, given the situation.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Byulyi is really good at healing elixirs, but don’t strain yourself too much, just in case.”  Wheein gave a huff which caused another small chuckle to come from Hyejin and hearing it filled Wheein in a way that made her feel light.  Or it began to, until it ended on the end of a sad sigh from Hyejin. “You must have so many questions. But you can’t even ask them because you’re a cat.”  She muttered the last part to herself, frustration bleeding through her tone.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tentatively, Wheein gave a short meow to pull Hyejin’s attention back to her.  She didn’t really have a plan for what to do next. Hyejin was right, she was a cat right now, who could do nothing but meow and sleep in the sun.  But the sadness in Hyejin would not do. Hyejin had kind of become her only friend in the city and Wheein would wait for her friend to help her yet again, but the need to help Hyejin any way she could rose in her like something sharp.  The sadness was the first thing, she would allow Hyejin to feel guilty for this situation no longer.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once Hyejin’s eyes fell on her again Wheein moved closer to nudge her head against Hyejin’s leg twice before looking up and flopping onto her side and then rolling to expose her tummy and stretching her paws out to push lightly on Hyejin’s leg.  Hyejin blinked at the action and Wheein felt her heart pounding in her chest as the seconds ticked by. It was weird, it was way too catlike, she was weird, she messed up.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Hyejin laughed.  It was the kind of laugh that wracked her body and lit up her face like fireworks.  She fell back onto her butt and wrapped her arms around her midsection and unsuccessfully tried to reign it in.  Her smile was wide and her eyes were nearly closed into crescents and Wheein felt sweat on her paws and a skip in her heart and a loud purr erupted from her startling them both.  “I’m sorry for laughing.” Hyejin managed around an array of giggles that bubbled up from her as she blotted at her eyes. “I just did not expect that.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite her growing embarrassment, Wheein pawed at Hyejin again trying to come off as playful to let her know she wasn’t offended.   Guided by the atmosphere Hyejin’s hand reached out and lightly stroked the underside of Wheein’s chin and her purring didn’t seem in her control anymore.  She stretched her neck out giving in to the calming tingles Hyejin’s fingers left across her fur. She definitely was beginning to understand cats more than she ever thought she would.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed to calm the both of them and Wheein basked in the soft smile Hyejin gazed at her with.  After a few heartbeats Hyejin offered to show Wheein around but as Wheein stood she felt a tug in her bladder and froze.  When Hyejin stopped to ask if she was okay all Wheein could do was look at her with wide round brown eyes. How in the world was she supposed to use the bathroom like this?  How could she even communicate that was what she needed? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her nose twitched then and she took a big breath and locked on to the clean lemony scent of cleaner.  She set off after it like a bullet hoping it would lead her to a bathroom. She pushed past a slightly ajar door to find herself in a cozy bathroom with a tub opposite of the door and the toilet and sink to her right.  Hyejin followed quickly behind to stand in the doorway.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh goddess, ok, um, we don’t have a litter box but maybe you could go in the tub and I could wash it down?”  The pitch of Hyejin’s voice rose in panic as she realized Wheein’s predicament. Wheein took one look at the clawfoot tub and imagined getting her paws all wet or the faucet turning on and drowning her and she shrunk away from the tub and the thoughts.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just raise the toilet seat up for her,” came Byulyi’s voice from the hallway behind Hyejin who turned to her in surprise.  Byulyi’s head popped over Hyejin’s shoulder and she smirked down at Wheein’s curled up form. “Plenty of cats use a normal toilet if their owners take the time to get them used to it.  Lucky for you cutie, you’re already used to using it so we’ll raise the seat up for you, give you some privacy, and flush for ya when you’re done. Is that comfortable for you?” Byulyi suggested, with all of the confidence of a seasoned con artist.  Wheein’s bladder didn’t leave her much room for deliberation and after a nod and a meow from her, Byulyi unceremoniously lifted the lid and plopped her on the seat before pushing Hyejin out of the room and shutting the door.    </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Doing her absolute best to ignore the panic Wheein felt rising in her at the sight of the water below, she perched, her claws digging into the porcelain and did her business.  It was a relief that was very short lived. As soon as she was done she nearly flew off the seat and barreled into the door to let the two in the hall know she was done. Byulyi opened the door, gave her a wink and walked into the bathroom to flush the toilet while Wheein skittered past her and into the hallway to stick close to Hyejin.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hyejin reached down to pet a finger along the top of Wheein’s head and gradually Wheein’s muscles relaxed.  When Byulyi exited the bathroom she smirked down at Wheein and said, “Good kitty.” In that moment Wheein’s mixed feelings about being a cat cemented.  She didn’t like not being able to do basic things for herself but the feeling of Hyejin’s fingers on her fur quickly worked to make her forget all about the bad.  Maybe she would just try to enjoy it. Byulyi’s knowing smirk wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> annoying.  


Maybe.  </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Curious and Annoyed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cat's are cute and so is Wheein</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>From then on, and despite the reluctance from Wheein, Byulyi became her unofficial caretaker for the rest of the day.  After explaining to the yowling, complaining cat that Byulyi was the only one who could effectively anticipate her needs and also offered the least help to the antidote making process, Hyejin handed Wheein off to Byulyi and went to help Yongsun downstairs in the employee area of the shop.  Byulyi looked much too smug for Wheein’s liking as she brought her down and into the shop and told her to be a good little mascot as she tended the store.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Doing her best to ignore Byulyi’s presence all together, Wheein perched herself on the counter by the cash register and eyed the door to the employee area while Byulyi organized and restocked certain shelves.  They’d had two customers come in so far and Wheein’s heart pounded when they caught sight of her each time.  She hid her face in her paws when they cooed at her and she hoped they would not reach out to pet her even as she stayed stuck still to the counter.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was after that second customer that Byulyi had once again redirected into an offering for a free reading and a discount, that Wheein realised Byulyi could most likely sense her panic with whatever weird power she had.   After the second customer Wheein took to eyeing Byulyi as curiosity tugged at her with a force that was hard to ignore.  Byulyi moved about the store for a while more, an occasional smile tugging at her lips whenever it seemed like she may be about to turn to Wheein, though she never did either time.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wheein could feel her tail audibly flicking behind her, hitting the countertop in an oddly rhythmic thumping, as her curiosity slowly gave way to irritation and the morning wore itself into afternoon.  Just when she thought it all might boil over, into whatever a cat version of a hissy fit would amount to, Byulyi finally finished her busy work and turned to Wheein, smirking mouth poised to speak.  But the door to the employee area swung open just then and drew both their attention to Hyejin standing in the doorway, dressed to go out into the cold.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyejin closed the door behind her lightly and swept a warm smile at them both, though it grew a bit more tentative when aimed at Wheein, before she addressed them, “I called in a favor with the family so we can get some necessary ingredients.  I’m going out to collect them now but I might be out late.”  She gave a meaningful look at Byulyi at the end of her sentence who’s face pinched oddly in reaction before giving a nod, her shoulders set a bit tighter than Wheein had seen them in the past 24 hours.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Call me if you need any help.  Shall I close the shop early?”  Byulyi’s tone was even but Wheein could tell it caused her some strain to keep it that way.  Hyejin’s smile just turned fonder as she stepped over to Byulyi to pull her into a quick hug.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t get out of working that easily.  But I have a feeling it should be ok to close for lunch if you’re getting hungry.  Yongsun is going to be stuck at the hearth probably into tomorrow, unfortunately.”   Her words struck a cord of sympathy in Wheein that washed through her with surprising ferocity.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She hadn’t seen, or heard, Yongsun since last night.  It only occurred to Wheein at that moment that perhaps she had been the only one to get proper sleep, and would be the only one to that night as well due to them working so hard to rush for her sake.  Sure being a cat might be the biggest inconvenience of her life, though job hunting in Seoul came in close second, but it wasn't the most horrible thing she’d ever endured either.  The weirdest thing, sure, but nowhere near something she saw as bad enough that it needed to end at the expense of sleepless nights.   </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyejin had already whisked past her and out the store before Wheein had pulled out of her thoughts enough to ‘voice’ them.  The bell above the door tinkled as it closed and in it’s echoes Wheein turned back to train her brown eyes on Byulyi who was already watching her, pensive and quiet.  A stillness settled over them for a moment and curiosity and sympathy won out over annoyance as Wheein let out a meow in Byulyi’s direction.  The woman's tight smirk softened into something more genuine and she moved to the messy yet cozy seating area of the shop. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You have questions but I don’t give answers out for free.”  Byulyi wiggled her fingers at Wheein as she spoke, beckoning her over.  Wheein huffed at her words thinking back to the free readings she had given to the day’s earlier customers.  “They both ended up spending more than they thought they would because of those readings.”  Byulyi gave an exaggerated pout before once again wriggling her fingers for Wheein to sit with her.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Huffing once more, Wheein hopped down from the counter and considered it a win when her little legs only wobbled a bit at the impact.  She sat down by a pile of blankets to the right of Byulyi, just out of reach of the woman’s outstretched hand.  Byulyi playfully narrowed her eyes at the distance before rolling them skyward and shaking her head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine, have it your way.  I’ll answer 3 questions for your trouble.  But the rest,”  She wiggled her fingers out to Wheein again with an eyebrow raised in suggestion, “will cost you.”  Byulyi winked and Wheein tilted her head to the side and wondered how Byulyi would even know what kind of questions she could possibly want answered most out of the rising number she seemed to have gathered as the day progressed.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll know because you think loud enough that I can hear enough of it from here.  That was one.”  Wheein met Byulyi’s smug smile with her eyes widened in horror.  She didn’t know what was worse, the fact that people existed that could read your thoughts, or the fact that the one reading her’s was a swindler as slick as a fox.  She had the distinct feeling of the world shifting beneath her paws and wondered if maybe she would soon find herself used to that feeling amidst all this magick.  Her mind flashed to the readings Byulyi had done before and her heart sank as she realised Byulyi probably just told those people whatever they wanted to hear.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A tap on her head sent tingles down her spine.  “I read the cards.  I tell them truthfully what they say.  I don’t give people false hope.  And I don’t just hear everyone’s thoughts in the world, only like, certain people.  Usually with everyone else I just get the impressions of how they feel.”  Byulyi’s eyes shone sincerely as she spoke and Wheein found herself nodding along as a small apology.  The serious moment did not last as the movement had the corners of Byulyi’s lips turning up once again.  “That was two.”    </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If Wheein could have, she would have face palmed but she didn’t want to give Byulyi another reason to coo or call her cute.  Instead she yowled in protest at the unfairness of it all.  When it backfired and Byulyi began laughing so hard she fell back into some pillows, Wheein only yowled more and walked closer to Byulyi’s head so she could reach optimal annoyance by yowling in her ear.  That was futile too as Byulyi was onto her plan as soon as she had formed it in her head and snatched her up once Wheein got close enough.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for Wheein to realise that resistance was just as futile as everything else and she went limp in Byulyi’s arms which wound around her and pressed Wheein snug to her chest.  Byulyi ran the tips of her fingers lightly across the orange fur on Wheein’s soft head and for a few blissful moments they sat together like that in a silent truce.  It allowed time for Wheein’s mind to drift and think hard about an actual question she wanted answered now, since she apparently only had one more shot.  Byulyi was nice enough this time to wait until Wheein was sure what she was going to ask.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She wondered where Hyejin had gone, who ‘the family’ was, and why mention of it had made Byulyi so tense.  She wanted to know how in the heck magic existed all these years and she had never known until that weekend.  She wondered if they should check on Yongsun and why they were all working so hard to help her so fast.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What would happen to her when she was no longer a cat?  Would she leave the store and never return?  Would they make her forget her time here, as a cat, with them?  Or would she be allowed back when she was human; allowed into their lives?  Had she perhaps found what could be her first real friends in the city?  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All her questions seemed lofty to her.  They were things that were more worries than ‘need to know’.  She told herself that whatever happens will happen and she would just have to be okay, continue on as she always has.  So instead she settled on something light.  Peeking up at Byulyi she focused her mind on the one question she wanted to know at that moment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘How do you like your eggs in the morning?’ </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Byulyi snorted a laugh and nearly dropped a protesting Wheein as waves of laughter rolled off of her.  She gingerly put Wheein down in the midst of her shocked laughing fit and when she calmed down a bit, Byulyi reached up to lightly brush the knuckles of her fingers across the top of Wheein’s head.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Scrambled and drowning in ketchup.”  She answered after the laughter had completely died down.  Wheein made a face and Byulyi just licked her lips like she was already savoring it.  Wheein once again lamented the weird twist her life had turned as Byulyi's pretty laugh filled the room.  So weird.   </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Cauldrons and Sandwiches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It wasn’t long after their chat that Byulyi decided to close the store for lunch so she could check on Yongsun.  She turned the hands around on a little clock on the closed for lunch sign at the door and turned it to face the window so customers would know when they would be open again.  Then she went about locking the door and closing the blinds before turning back to Wheein with a wide smile.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready pretty kitty?”  She put on a voice sweet as melting sugar crystals and Wheein rolled her round eyes and headed to the back door so they could just go.  As Byulyi crossed the store to her, Wheein realized how hungry she really was since not having anything past that sweet water the night before.  She wondered what else they would try to feed her.  Since she was a cat now could she only eat fish and manufactured cat food?  She didn’t even really like fish that much.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, we’ll find something for you pretty kitty.”  Byulyi reassured her as she swung the door open.  Wheein’s haunches raised as the nickname was spoken again and she scurried past Byulyi and into the back room so she could scuttle under a row of shelves and hiss to show her growing annoyance.  Byulyi only giggled at her antics.  “I’m going to check on Sunnie first.  You can follow if you want.”  And with that Byulyi walked to a door hidden among the stock shelves just past the stairs that led up to the apartment.  Fog or smoke wafted out of the room in a whoosh when she opened the door and Wheein scurried over to peek in, unable to keep her curiosity in check.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you don’t have food I’m not in the mood.”  Yongsun huffed out, annoyed, just as Wheein’s eyes took in the small room she was in.  The room was dark. The walls, floor and ceiling were made of exposed stone.  Two of the three walls that Wheein could see were lined with shelves full to bursting of vials that all seemed to hold something different.  Some of the vials glowed, some of them held things so dark they seemed to eat the light that touched them.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A cluster of them on the wall directly across from the door looked like they held various spices and plants.  The third wall was lined with various objects coating even more shelves.  Chests that looked too old to be anywhere but a museum took up space on the lowest of all the shelves.  They were all of various styles and sizes and Wheein shuddered to think what all those things could have been used for.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Youngsun stood in the middle of the room where a fire was going in a stone pit built into the floor.  A hook hung from the ceiling to the middle of the flame pit and it held a big round black cauldron that Youngson was slowly stirring with a large wooden spoon.  Wheein’s shock at the sight manifested itself in a laugh that didn’t register right and mostly just came out as odd wheezing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m making lunch now.  Any requests?”  Byulyi was speaking.  This was just a typical sight to her.  The thought made Wheein’s stomach drop.  Yes, she had been turned into a cat, and yes, 10 minutes ago she was just having a telepathic conversation, but the sight before her then hit her like a ton of bricks.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Magic is real.  Magic is real. Magic is real and always has been.  Magic is real.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Magic is real and for some reason it looks like the stupid halloween movies she would eat up when she could get her hands on them from her local library growing up.  Magic was real and it turned her into a cat and wow she really needed to sit down.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am dying for a slice of pizza.  Maybe like 4 or 5 would hit the spot actually.”  Youngsun answered and Wheein’s eyes followed her as she kept her focus on her work of stirring in the same direction over and over.  The more Wheein looked at her the more she noticed.  Like the bluish glow that was shining on Youngsun’s face from the potion she was currently stirring and how it cast that glow up on the ceiling above her, elongating her shadow.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though there was no draft or airflow in the seemingly sealed stone room, Youngsun’s hair swirled and shifted around her as the smoke from the cauldron continued to waft out while she heated the potion through.  When that smoke mingled with the flames beneath the cauldron tiny yellow sparks would spit from the tips of the flames and fall back to mingle with the red-orange glow.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You made me swear to, under any circumstances, never let you touch pizza again before the year is up.”  Byulyi’s voice was teasing and their entire conversation floated around in Wheein’s head, more surreal than the actual sight of an actual witch brewing an actual potion in an actual cauldron.  Youngsun cut a glare at Byulyi so chilling that Wheein cowered behind the door frame but Byulyi just chuckled.  “Any. Circumstances.”  Byulyi emphasized like she held a lighthearted death wish.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Byulyi if you do not bring me pizza, I swear on every war goddess I will exact revenge.”  In a normal circumstance the words spoken may have made Wheein laugh but Youngsun’s voice carried through the room and rattled in Wheein’s head like a physical thing.  As she spoke the flames under the cauldron licked higher, casting even darker shadows throughout the room, Youngsun’s own splitting into ten on the ceiling.  Wheein couldn't bear to look but was too frozen in fear to look away.  Byulyi just scoffed and it made Wheein’s insides clench in annoyance.  She really wished Byulyi would just get the scary lady her damn pizza.  She’d worked hard enough, hell once Wheein was finally human, she would buy Youngsun a year's worth of pizza just so she would never feel this stabbing fear ever again.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be honest here Sunnie.  I am way more afraid of past you who bound me to that promise than I am of this hangry you.  I’ll make your faves though.  Keep on stirring.”  Byulyi said lightly and with a smile that made her eyes crinkle almost shut as she stepped out of the room.  Her confidence and movement snapped Wheein out of her fear long enough to flee back into the stockroom and under the shelf she had hidden before.  Her little heart fluttered in her chest like a hummingbird’s wings and her breaths more resembled gulping for air underwater.  Byulyi crouched down to her level with the rare sight of concern in the set of her brow.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was kind of scary huh?”  Byulyi asked after a pause that might have been to let Wheein catch her breath and her bearings a moment.  Wheein took another moment to breathe in and breathe out and allowed Byulyi’s words to sink in before nodding.  “I’m sorry about that.  She’s really tired because of the potion making process.  Once she gets a rest and realizes how she acted, I’m sure she will apologize.  You weren’t in any danger, I promise, ok?”  Byulyi said softly, as if her words could break Wheein if they held too much force or carelessness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a few more words of encouragement for Byulyi to coax Wheein out from under the shelves and into her arms so she could get them up to the kitchen.  Wheein’s tiny body trembled in her arms like it was trying to shake out the fear that was still coiled tight in her gut.  Instinctively she burrowed into Byulyi’s warmth and pressed her face into Byulyi’s chest.  Her insides were crying out for comfort.  Somewhere in the back of her mind Wheein wondered if it was the cat form she was in that made her fear feel so big.  Had she been human would she have been so frightened?  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wordlessly, Byulyi didn’t try to set Wheein down and instead held her close with one arm while the other got to work on making sandwiches.  Byulyi’s chest vibrated as she hummed a slow upbeat tune and Wheein focused in on the feeling of it against her head as she tried to calm herself.  After 15 minutes or so of that, Byulyi's humming ended and she leaned on what Wheein presumed to be a counter with a sigh.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The silence lasted until Wheein’s curiosity and concern overrode her fear and she peeked up to see Byulyi looking out at the kitchen wall opposite them lost in thought.  Wheein shifted a bit more in her hold and Byulyi’s lips quirked up at the corners before she looked down at the small orange cat.  “There she is.”  Byulyi’s voice was warm and if Wheein could have she would have been pouting up at the psychic then.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi stood straighter and took two steps to the other side of the long narrow kitchen and gave Wheein a questioning look.  “Ready to get down so I can feed you something?”  Byulyi asked.  With the way her stomach had been twisted up Wheein wasn’t sure she could hold down actual food but she let Byulyi lower her down to a clear spot on the cluttered counter and crouched down on all fours.  “I’ll make you some more of that sweet water, pretty kitty.”  Byulyi assured her and Wheein eyed her as she pulled out a dish and filled it with some water in a jar she pulled from the fridge.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi glanced at Wheein as she poured the water and gave a cheeky wink before moving to block Wheein’s sight from catching what she then did to the water in the bowl.  Before Wheein could think to change her location on the counter for a better look she heard the clatter of Byulyi fastening the lid of the jar of water and she moved to put it back in the fridge.  All Wheein could see in the bowl from her vantage point was water.  Byulyi giggled as she turned back to see Wheein’s reaction and she picked up the bowl and brought it over to rest it on the counter next to Wheein so she could drink.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You drink that while I go feed Youngsun her sandwiches and reopen the store.  The living room is through that arch way if you want to take a little nap.  I made sure the bathroom door is open and the toilet lid is up if you need it.”  Byulyi gathered the sandwiches onto a plate as she talked.  Wheein gave a curt nod at her words and Byulyi’s smile was toothy as she reached out and gave her head a pat as she passed by and swept out of the room.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Left alone, Wheein eyed the water suspiciously for a moment but a rumble from between the slowly unwinding knots in her stomach overruled whatever the water could possibly do to her.  A rest would probably be a good thing, she reasoned with herself as she stood and shuffled over to the small bowl.  After tentatively lapping it up and confirming it was just as sweet and refreshing as what she had previously had last night she set to consuming it with a fervor.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time she was licking the bowl clean, contentment settled in her along with the pleasantly full feeling in her stomach.  She licked her lips clean and glanced between both ends of the kitchen.  She could go and find Byulyi and spend the rest of the afternoon in the shop by the register.  Or she could take the advice of rest once again.  The feeling of deja vu was not lost on her but in the end she hopped off the counter and found her way into the living room she hadn’t really seen on her way down to the shop earlier that day.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had a couch and a loveseat in the center of the room taking the form of a loose L.  The pale blue cushions looked fluffy and comfortable and her focus zeroed in on them as she made her way and jumped onto the loveseat.  She burrowed into a yellow patterned pillow against the arm of the sofa and slipped into sleep as soon as her chin rested on her paws and she closed her eyes for a cliche cat nap.   </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Frozen Time and Rueful Smiles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I decided for my birthday that I will finally post this freaking chapter.  It's a filler but it's sweet and I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She rested deeply only stirring when the silence of the apartment was disturbed by the bell of the door to the store opening and closing on the floor below her.   She definitely hadn’t been awake enough to measure how many customers had woken her.  She would barely blink her eyes before she was falling right back into a restful sleep.  If she dreamed, she remembered none of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was her nose that finally stirred her completely awake.  It twitched as she inhaled a familiar smell that she couldn’t quite place.  As she blinked her eyes open, the hand she was becoming aware of petting her head stilled.  Hyejin slowly came into focus.  The orange glow of a setting sun outlined the soft planes of her face and created an artificial halo when it reflected off her dark hair at that angle.  The quiet around them added to the timeless feeling Wheein felt settle around them as she slowly came into awareness.  For a moment she felt they had slipped into a pocket of time together.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which was a silly notion, she realized a full minute later, and she felt greatly thankful for the orange fur that she was stuck in since it hid the deep blush of her cheeks she could feel form.  Hyejin opened her mouth to speak and the spell around them fully fractured.  “Hello sleepyhead.  Did you have a good day?”  Her voice was soft but the notes of every word travelled from Wheein’s ears down her spine startling her to full wakefulness.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wheein got to her paws in a languid stretch to get the blood flowing through her stiff limbs and she nodded at Hyejin before watching her expectantly.  She wanted to know where the woman had been all day and if she had just gotten home.  She wanted to hear all about Hyejin’s day and ask about magic.  She wanted to know what would happen to her when she was no longer a cat and if Hyejin might at least consider her a friend.  She wanted to complain about Byulyi being insufferable and Yongsun being terrifying.  But the confusion in Hyejin’s eyes told Wheein she wouldn’t be getting anything she wanted without her annoying ‘translator’.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead, she settled for the next best thing and padded over to Hyejin’s lap where she sat on the couch next to where Wheein had been sleeping, and snuggled in.  It took a few moments but Hyejin’s hand hesitantly began to smooth through her fur in a way that made her purr embarrassingly.  She didn’t force herself to stop though.  A peek up at Hyejin’s face set in fondness and dusted in a light blush was all the motivation she needed to keep going.  She waited for Hyejin to instead talk about what she wanted and wondered how they had this time together, where the other two were.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yongsun now has all the ingredients needed to complete the reverse potion and she let me know that she thinks she should have it done earlier than she thought.  You may even be able to take it for breakfast.”  Hyejin’s words were tinged with a poor attempt at enthusiasm and Wheein wondered why she had bothered with the pretense at all.  Why was she not genuinely excited about the reverse potion being complete?  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You must be so ready to get back to your life.  Job hunting has got to be better than being stuck as a cat.”  Hyejin mused as her hand began scratching under Wheein’s chin which made her purr louder for a moment before she got a hold of herself.  Hyejin moved her hand back to Wheein’s head a moment later with a soft murmured apology.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wheein looked up at her again only to catch her mouth twisted in a grimace.  The expression made the dark circles Wheein hadn’t noticed before more prominent.  The sight made something twist in Wheein's chest that could have been fear or it could have been something else entirely.  Either way, it hurt and the need to ease the pain in both herself and Hyejin gave her the courage to surge up and use the balance of her tail and hind legs to reach her furry face to Hyejin's.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she nuzzled her forehead against Hyejin's cheek the woman froze.  Wheein let herself purr as loud as she could and tried to convey her confusing but fond feelings to Hyejin.  It took a few more insistent pushes of her head before Hyejin seemed to get over her shock and she cooed softly at Wheein while she ran her fingers down her back.  Just as Wheein was moving her little head back to peek at Hyejin's expression she was suddenly airborne before being pulled into someone's chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Alright, that's enough of that." a familiar, annoying voice scolded them.  Hyejin sighed and got to her feet while Wheein worked on calming her heart down enough to pull in her claws so she could push out of Byulyi's hold without hurting her.  Byulyi caught Wheein’s eyes and smirked. " How sweet of you."  she cooed and Wheein gave up on her claws and used all her might to wiggle out of Byulyi's arms.  The woman set her down gently on the couch where she had been sleeping and Wheein gave her best equivalent to a huff.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can read her?"  Hyejin asked and Wheein's eyes flicked to her to see her face set in surprise and her eyes a bit wary when they glanced down at Wheein a moment.  What was definitely a type of fear twisted in Wheein's gut that time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yep." Byulyi popped the p as she spoke.  "Clear as day." she declared.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hmmm."  Hyejin mused with a faraway look in her eye.  She brought her fingers to her chin and glanced at Wheein again, considering something.  Byulyi gave a fond sigh and rolled her eyes before grasping Hyejin's shoulders and steering her towards the steps.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>" Don't get yourself up in knots about it.  I've drawn you a special bath so you'll be all ready tonight to give Yongsun a break.  Go clean up." Byulyi said as she marched them to the steps that lead up to the bathroom Wheein had used earlier that day.  Hyejin glanced at Wheein with a protest on her tongue but in the next moment she seemed to second guess herself.  She turned around and began to climb the stairs leaving Wheein alone with her sworn enemy.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi nearly doubled over in laughter at that thought and Wheein rolled her round eyes before hopping off the couch to stretch her legs while she waited for Byulyi to calm down from her non-joke.  Byulyi snorted.  “Oh, come on, you know you love me.”   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wheein yawned in answer.  She wondered how the day had been and why she was still tired while also feeling refreshed.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hyejin has really run herself down it seems.  She's usually much more responsible when it comes to taking care of herself."  Byulyi said in a faraway voice in answer to Wheein's thoughts.  Only it wasn't really much of an answer at all. Byulyi only looked down at her and shrugged before walking towards the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without much of a choice, Wheein followed and perched in the entryway to watch Byulyi flit about, lining up ingredients on the counter as she went.  "I'm just going to make her some light porridge to give her strength for the night ahead of her.  Youngsun deserves the rest." It's obvious that Byulyi has said it aloud for Wheein's benefit and yet it felt to Wheein like she was hearing something meant to convince Byulyi. She wondered if Byulyi was so worried about the both of them, why she didn't take up the task herself.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi turned a rueful smile to Wheein then and sighed, deflating against the counter.  "I have ruined nearly every brew made in that stupid cauldron.  It's such an inevitable thing that I've been wracking my mind to remember if I somehow touched the potion that turned you into a cat before Youngsun had finished brewing it." Wheein felt her tail twitch behind her as she pondered that possibility.  After another moment she decided it didn't matter if they found someone to blame, she was already a cat, life had already dealt its cards.  All they could do was what they were already doing, play with the deck they'd been dealt.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi's rueful smile turned soft and she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as if to reset the entire atmosphere.  "So smart for such a little kitty." She teased Wheein playfully and Wheein's answering hiss was only half-hearted.  It was enough for an air of comfort to surround them and it was nice to feel like she had finally got something right for once.  So many things had gone wrong in her short time in Seoul, but this couldn't possibly feel like one of them in the present moment.  Byulyi hummed for a moment and then cut herself off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you're new to Seoul?" Byulyi asked with interest clear in her tone.  Wheein thought Byulyi, in all her mysticism, should already know that but she humored her for the moment.  She thought of her new tiny apartment, space still bigger than anything she had possessed before.  She tried not to think of the before, of where she came from, how it had all led her to the city.  She thought of the first job interview she had moved there for and the rejection that seemed the beginning of a tidal wave of rejections.  Wheein recounted in her mind her first meeting with Hyejin and tried to not think any farther than that as she refocused her gaze on Byulyi who was already staring back attentively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We'll be here you know." Byulyi spoke when she realized Wheein wasn't sharing anymore.  Byulyi got her hands busy then on Hyejin's porridge and Wheein meowed a demand to know what she meant.  "I mean, when you're human again and we can actually talk, we'll all still be here.  If you need someone to actually talk to.  Being text buddies with Hyejinie has got to get boring just by itself." She didn't face Wheein as she spoke, consumed in her task and Wheein let her gaze fall to the white and black tile that gleamed under the kitchen light.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did this mean she had friends? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi snorted and Wheein looked up in time to see her wiping a grin off her face and Wheein yowled while thinking of how annoying Byulyi was.  She could feel warmth growing outwards from her chest.   And she decided it was a nice warmth, really really nice. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Cat and Human</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After a long night of cat naps and peeking at Hyejin while she stirred the near volatile looking liquid in the cauldron as it bubbled over and floated around her and the room - some of the bubbles playing with her hair - Wheein was poked awake.  The concrete floor beneath her felt cold and she opened her little pink mouth in a ferocious yawn before she blinked the world into focus.  If she could be thankful for any part of this whole ‘being a cat’ business, it would be all of the sleep she had managed to catch up on this past weekend.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes blinked the world into view.  It was a view made up of Hyejin’s tired smile and Byulyi’s bright grin, and Youngsun’s own sleepy eyes.  As Byulyi and Hyejin cooed at Wheein she stood up and stretched out her stiff limbs before blinking up at them all in question.  As usual she had a lot of questions floating around in her head, ranging from, is the potion complete, to, why is Yongsun even awake right now.  As usual, all she could do was stare and wait for them to talk first.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The potion is ready for you to try now.  Did you sleep well?”  Byulyi’s voice was quiet and subdued but Wheein was too caught up on how her heart flew to her throat at what she had said.  The potion was ready.  The reality of that suddenly set in around here then, much heavier than actually turning into a cat had.  Her tail flicked behind her, the only outward sign of her anxious agitation as her wide round eyes took them all in.  Was she about to lose them before she even got to really know them?  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes rested on Byulyi’s face and she recalled her words from the night before and it helped her remember to pull air into her lungs.  There was a tightness around Byulyi’s eyes that Wheein really only absorbed at a subconscious level as she worked to convince herself everything would be ok.  This would not be the end of anything, she’d just be human again and then they could all actually talk.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hyejin pulled a bottle out from where she had been holding it at her side.  It looked a bit like a perfume bottle and Wheein blinked at it before giving Hyejin a questioning eye.  Hyejin looked tired but she was giving Wheein a small smile that only widened when their eyes met.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ready?”  Hyejin asked, crouching down to Wheein’s level.  After a moment of hesitation where she swept her eyes across all of them once more, she met Hyejin’s eyes and nodded.  She took in a breath and sat down.  She was ready, for whatever was about to happen, she was ready.  Hyejin took a deep breath in herself and spritzed the contents of the bottle to mist over Wheein.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Wheein breathed in she took in the odd smell of it, something familiar and almost like home, something new like the flowers she got herself as a housewarming gift when she moved to Seoul.  The mix brought tears to her eyes that she blinked away as her body began to warm up when the mist settled on her fur.  Something electric began to burst under her skin, making her tingle as goosebumps rose along her body.  She felt her fur stand up and then something inside her clicked.  The next breath in she took seemed to fill her up and she felt so light she could laugh.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The comforting warmth then began to ease and shrink in her until it was just where she felt her heart beating and that is where it stayed.  With every beat the comforting warmth pulsed too as if to remind her it was there.  She’d never felt so right before, so powerful.  Even though when she blinked up at them she was still looking through the eyes of a cat.  This was the first time she was sure that everything was going to be ok.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She meowed up at them and they unfroze and blinked down at her owlishly.  Youngsun reacted first with a sound close to a hiss as she tiredly raised her hand to the bridge of her nose.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something went wrong, she’s still a cat.  I don’t know how I could have calculated anything wrong.”  Youngsun mumbled to herself and Hyejin looked between her and Wheein as her face turned to horror.  Wheein meowed at them again and stomped her little paw to get their attention and looked to Byulyi for some translating help but Byulyi seemed still stuck in shock as her mouth gaped at Wheein and Hyejin and Youngsun became swept up in discussing every step of the potion they took.  Wheein’s moment of power ebbed away in the helplessness she felt at not being able to communicate with them.  If she could just talk to them and tell them how amazing she now felt, how right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pop that sounded throughout the room and it coincided with the feeling of all of Wheein’s joints popping into place at once.  Silence rang throughout the room in the next moment and they all realized they were minus an orange tabby and plus a very naked woman sitting on the concrete floor of their store room.  Wheein blinked at them and they blinked at Wheein and her face slowly began to heat red as she realized her state of undress and she wished to be smaller and disappear as she squeezed her eyes shut there was another pop and she gasped out as her joints popped again into place.  Byulyi’s laughter cut the silence and had Wheein opening her eyes and looking down to her fur tufted paws in confusion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is awesome.”  Byulyi got out between her wheezing laughs.  Hyejin lifted her brow and gave Wheein an assessing look while Youngsun just huffed and tapped her foot as she waited for Byulyi to calm down and explain.  After a few moments, she did, though Byulyi’s eyes were still filled with glee as she grinned at the room.  Byulyi gestured to Wheein, “Don’t you see, she’s been a shifter all along.  I couldn’t see it because she’d blocked it.  Your potions worked wonders, she’s not blocked anymore.”  Byulyi doubled over with another bout of laughter before wiping tears from her eyes and giving an exasperated sigh at the lost looks Wheein and Youngsun had trained on her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s funny because we all could have gotten more sleep this weekend if we had just taken a few minutes to actually think about why she turned into a cat instead of immediately working to ‘fix’ it.”  She raised her hands for the dramatic effects of air quotes and Youngsun lunged at her making Wheein jump.  Byulyi laughed and dodged Youngsun before pulling her into her arms and swaying her side to side as Byulyi smiled like nothing could ever bring her down.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean, she’s like us?”  Hyejin said, her tone now quiet.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Afraid so,” Byulyi singsonged, “and obviously her specialty is shifting.  Don’t know the reason for the block though.  Did you remember blocking it?”  It took Wheein a minute to realise the question was pointed to her.  She blinked up at Byulyi and shook her head.  Byulyi shrugged as Youngsun finally broke free from her tight hug.  “That usually happens with blocks, makes them really effective when you can’t even remember that they exist in the first place.”  Byulyi’s voice was airy, she was still riding whatever high this revelation had given her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Youngsun rounded on her then.  “You’re not really suggesting we-”  she cut off at the look Byulyi gave her and gave another huff before heading for the stairs.  “I need breakfast before we even have this conversation.”  She gritted out before taking the stairs up to their apartment.  “And someone please, get her some clothes.”  She yelled from the top of the stairs before they heard her footsteps travel to what Wheein assumed was the kitchen.  She even picked up the fridge opening and closing with a slam.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Youngsun is usually a really bright person but she’s not herself when she’s hungry.  Or tired.  Or when things don’t go according to plan.”  Hyejin kept adding to the list and Byulyi chuckled.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ve basically hit a Bad Mood Youngsun trifecta this morning.  She’ll be back to normal soon.  Speaking of, let's go upstairs and grab your clothes so we can talk.”  Byulyi said.  With a mind swirling in questions and that warmth and power still pumping through her veins, Wheein followed Byulyi and Hyejin upstairs hoping the answers would be soon be revealed to her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once in the bedroom that Wheein’s little blanket bed resided, Byulyi placed Wheein’s clothes out on the floor in front of her as well as a set of comfier looking clothes that weren’t hers.  Byulyi had winked in answer to the question in her eyes, in her mind, and told her it was in case she wanted something comfier to enjoy breakfast in.  Then she told her to change back while they waited on the other side of the door for her to dress herself and they rushed out to wait.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wheein stared at the clothes before her.  That day she had been wearing her best interview outfit that she never felt as confident in as she thought she would when she bought it.  Byulyi had called her a shifter and Hyejin had said she was like them and she couldn’t remember what she should.  She needed to know what they meant, she needed to talk to them and get answers.  She’d been long overdue and filled to the brim with questions.  She both heard and felt the pop and this time recognized it as her body shifting from that of a cat to that of a woman.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grabbed the comfy outfit and stood to dress herself.  She stretched her limbs out and it felt nice to be back in her familiar body again.  Quickly she dressed and then walked to the door.  Power and warmth hummed through her veins as she placed her hand on the doorknob.  She took a breath in, let herself feel how she’d changed and how she was still exactly the person she was three days ago before walking into this store.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whatever happened, she was ready, she could do this and she was ready.  She turned the knob and opened the door to the women who held the answers to all her questions.  From the looks she saw on their faces, they seemed ready too. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Heyo &lt;3</p><p>So I started this story because I thought my cat, Goldilocks- who was not orange or gold at all lol - was the cutest thing ever and I wanted to just write about cute things she did.  I never, in my wildest imaginations thought in March when I posted the first chapter of this story that she would pass away in the middle of writing it.  </p><p>The chapters have been slow to upload this summer and a big part of that has been because I needed the time to heal from how suddenly I lost her.  She experienced heart failure at the end of June and I had to make the decision to put her down and though it was an easy decision to make for her, to end her pain, it has been a grieving process for me that I wasn't even kind of ready to go through. </p><p>And then, because my sanity demanded it, I adopted a kitten a few weeks later and raising a kitten has been a whirlwind in itself.  I feel like a panicky cat mom all the time lol.  I've named my new kitten Hwasa cause she's so fiery and feisty and she shines and she feels like a gift.  Hwasa needed me in a way Goldie never did and it feels like Goldie's gift to both of us in a way for finding each other.  </p><p>As you can tell, I am very sappy about cats lol.</p><p>All this is to say, this story is dedicated to my wonderful cat Goldilocks, who suffered being the cat of an idiot family who gave her a million names and constantly tried to trick her into eating her medication by badly hiding it in her wet food. She always caught on.  She was smart and sassy and did things her own way and she will be dearly missed.  </p><p>Hwasa, my new kitten who also already has about 3 to 4 different names from different family members, will most likely continue to take up a bit more of my time and try to jump on my keyboard whenever my laptop is open, but I will hopefully be uploading the next few chapters at a more regular pace from now on.  </p><p>To all the readers who have kept up with this story for this long and who keep coming back, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for sticking with this story.  Thank you for all of your comments and thank you for sticking with me.  </p><p>&lt;3 c y'all next time!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Answers and Anxiety</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bit short but I hope you enjoy all the same &lt;3</p><p>Small trigger warning for anxiety attacks toward the end, it's nothing crazy but stay safe if that is something that triggers you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Youngsun was at the dining table nursing a steaming mug of coffee when they made it downstairs.  In front of her the table was set for four, each placing had basic oatmeal still steaming in bowls and what looked like a plate of egg bites and a bowl of mixed berries in the middle of the table for everyone to share.  She blearily looked up at them as they entered and tried what Wheein could only assume was a smile.  It seemed the coffee was calming her already.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hurry up and sit down, I’m hungry.”  Youngsun grumbled at the room.  Byulyi nearly skipped to the table at the invitation and jumped into the seat next to Youngsun, scooting just a bit closer to the tired potion maker as she settled.  Youngsun gave a groan of protest that even Wheein could see was mostly for show before scooting her own chair closer to Byulyi and resting her head on Byulyi’s shoulder.  Byulyi grinned and made sure Youngsun’s mug made it safely to the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hyejin walked to the table and the movement knocked Wheein out of her thoughts and she followed behind to cross the living room area to get to the table.  Hyejin and her took the two remaining chairs across from Byulyi and Youngsun.  The sound of their chairs pushing in towards the table seemed to reanimate Youngsun and she sat up and grabbed her chopsticks and took the first bite after a muttered ‘finally’ that made Byulyi giggle beside her before she starting to spoon some mixed berries onto her oatmeal.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room filled with the sounds of silverware against bowls for the next few minutes.  Wheein’s gaze swept across her tablemates as the questions churning in her head began rising to a boil.  Hyejin seemed a bit too attentive to the ratio of fruit in each spoonful of oatmeal she took.  Youngsun looked a bit vacant in the eyes as she shoveled food into her mouth while Byulyi tried to add fruit to her oatmeal so it wouldn’t be so bland.  When Wheein finally caught Byulyi’s eye she realized she would have to be the first to break the tension. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, I’m like, part cat forever now?”  She blurted much to Byulyi’s amusement.  Hyejin’s spoon clattered into her bowl of oatmeal loud enough to make Wheein cringe.  She opened her mouth like she was going to speak but Byulyi beat her to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably, it seems you might have been part cat all along, or at least, had the potential to be.”  Byulyi wiggled her eyebrows at Wheein but it just made Wheein’s face screw up in confusion.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How is that even possible?  This weekend is the first time I’ve ever seen anything magical or unexplainable  happen my whole life.”  Wheein debated around a spoonful of fruity oatmeal.  She couldn’t remember the last time she had something this hearty and delicious for breakfast.  She’d never been much of a cook and the meals at the group home were more prepackaged or donated than anything else.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It happens sometimes with magical families in this country.  Unfortunately, they think they need to forget their magical heritage altogether to fit into how society is now.  Personally I think it’s a really dumb way to go about things but to each their own.”   Byulyi finished with a shrug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So it’s a family thing?”  Wheein pressed on.  Byulyi’s grin turned a bit sour and Wheein wondered if she had heard her thinking about where she grew up earlier, if she caught a double meaning in Wheein’s words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Byulyi is being political, ignore her.”  Youngsun said, waving her chopsticks vaguely towards Byulyi as if to ward her off.  Byulyi just rolled her eyes fondly.  “Magic is an anyone thing.  There are many instances of people being born with more of a talent with it from families who had never considered magic before.  But what you can do, that’s really rare if you’re saying your family has never even dropped hints to magic before.  And that block you had was something serious too, something doesn’t really add up to me.”  Youngsun eyed Wheein then and she fought off the urge to shiver under her piercing scrutiny.  She tried to take a deep breath and organize her thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What does it matter about whether or not my family told me anything about magic?  Right now I am clueless, apparently recovering from a block, and probably in need of some magic guru wizard mentor.  Would you-”  Wheein swallowed around the tension in her shoulders, “Would you guys be able to or even want to help guide me?”   She didn’t like thinking about her family especially since she couldn’t remember them no matter how hard she had tried over the years.  It was like picking at a painful hollow wound that weighed on her chest as she grew up without anyone.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byulyi gave her a look that held heartbreak and pity and something Wheein couldn’t quite decipher before Byulyi’s eyes shifted to Hyejin’s for a moment.  In that moment Wheein caught Hyejin’s back straightening from the corner of her eye before Hyejin’s head turned to her for the first time since they sat down.  Wheein met her gaze and Hyejin’s eyes swept over her in an assessing way.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wheein felt a bit like she was under a microscope and she felt her lips pout out at the thought that her amazing city guide that she’d been talking to all week hadn’t been very guiding when she needed it this weekend.  Hyejin’s eyes stopped at her pouted out lips last and she drew in a shaky breath before looking back to Byulyi.  And that’s when Wheein realized it and placed her chopsticks down on her plate with a huff that made all eyes flick to her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re talking about me aren’t you?  I’m right here and you’re having some kind of telepathic gossip conference right in front of my damn oatmeal and eggs.”  Wheein crossed her arms in front of her and gave a half hearted glare at Byulyi’s amused grin and Hyejin’s guilty smile.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You get used to it when you’re around them long enough.  Usually it’s nothing important anyway.  Then you start to feel grateful they are respecting the peace and silence.”  Youngsun stated matter of factly around her last bite of her eggs.  And just like that she was the first one done.  She got up and collected her plates as Byulyi gave a protesting ‘hey’ at her comment.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what were the looks about?”  Wheein demanded the attention of the room once again.  She could feel her hackles rising and it wasn’t a welcome feeling with the current company that she had grown to trust over this odd weekend.  She met Hyejin’s eyes steadily, challenging her to tell a lie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When is your birthday Wheein?”  Byulyi asked instead of answering Wheein’s question.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I asked you a question first.”  Wheein said, surprised by her own tone.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We want to answer your questions but we don’t have all the answers for you right now.  Your birthday might help shed some light for us on how we can help you best.”  Hyejin’s voice was soft and almost pleading for Wheein to calm down and understand.  Wheein took a deep breath and tried to dampen down the unease swirling around in her stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“April 27th 1995.”  She answered shortly.  Hyejin and Byulyi shared another look and the unease got the better of her in that moment.  She snapped up from her seat and took her plates to the sink where Youngsun was still doing the dishes.  She placed them on the counter by the sink with a word of thanks and then found herself taking the stairs up to the bedroom where her clothes were clustered by her purse.  She changed quickly, not thinking about how stiff the fabric felt against her skin compared to the soft comfort of whoever’s loungewear she had borrowed.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leaving the loungewear on the bed, she snatched up her purse and pulled a hair tie out of it.  As she descended the stairs she tied up her hair.  Byulyi and Hyejin were still seated at the table and they turned to her with wide eyes.  She’d been so afraid of losing these people just an hour ago but her frustration and the creeping anxiety ripping through her nervous system overshadowed her fascination with them.  She didn’t want them to figure her out, dissect her.  She just wanted… she wasn’t even sure anymore.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call me when you are ready to be truthful and clear with me.”  Her voice shook and the stricken look on Hyejin’s face nearly kept her feet rooted at the bottom of the steps for eternity.  But another rush of unease twirled around her system and she about faced and headed for the other set of stairs through the kitchen.  Youngsun followed her down and without protest let her out of the store before locking the door behind her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The air in her lungs pulled in thinly but she put one foot in front of the other and made her way back home.  Her body seemed to know how to get there better than her mind ever could.  Once she reached the second floor where her apartment resided, her heart sank at the sight of all her things waiting for her in 2 suitcases and a box outside the door.  Woodenly she walked to the door where a sign with red lettering printed on yellow paper informed her that once again, she no longer had a home.  She let the tears fall then. </span>
</p>
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